“For the good of the people … I will resign,” a tearful Cohen told reporters at a news conference he chose to hold at a Far North Side bar during halftime of the Super Bowl.

Cohen’s decision came five days after Democratic voters bypassed five rivals, including veteran state lawmakers, and chose the rookie candidate who poured $2 million in personal funds into an advertising blitz for the state’s lightly regarded lieutenant governor spot. It marked one of the quickest and most dramatic changes to an Illinois political ticket in history. Democrats now face the prospect of filling Cohen’s vacancy on the ticket, a decision to be made by the 38-member Democratic State Central Committee. The committee, the governing board of state Democrats, is headed by powerful House Speaker Michael Madigan, the state Democratic chairman.

Democratic Illinois Senate nominee Alexi Giannoulias called for embattled Illinois Lt. Gov. Democratic nominee Scott Lee Cohen to step down, in the wake of allegations of domestic abuse, anabolic steroid use and being behind on child support payments as Cohen was pouring $2 million into his own campaign:

“These revelations are deeply disturbing and there is no place in society let alone public office for this type of behavior,” Giannoulias said in a statement.

Alexi Giannoulius has many asking questions about his past associations. Giannoulius, like Obama, has had dealings with the infamous Tony Rezko. Giannoulius is the Illinois State Treasurer, but before holding that office he worked at his family owned bank, Broadway Bank. The bank has been accused of dealing with mobsters as well as Tony Rezko.
Another negative for Alexi Giannoulius is the fact that he is deemed a part of the Illinois political machine. Giannoulius, who used to play basketball with Obama, will have a hard time convincing voters that he wasn’t created in the same mold as Barack Obama, Rahm Emanuel, and Rod Blagojevich.